Warren Anderson's Account: A Case Study of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy

This case study analyzes the Bhopal Gas Tragedy through the lens of Warren Anderson, former CEO of Union Carbide. It examines the causes of the disaster, focusing on negligence and lack of safety measures at the Bhopal plant. The analysis includes the company's response, compensation efforts, and the long-term impact on the affected population. The document reflects on the perspectives of Union Carbide, highlighting the challenges of managing international subsidiaries and the consequences of policy changes influenced by governmental interference. It also addresses the legal and ethical dimensions of the tragedy, emphasizing the importance of corporate responsibility and preventative safety measures. Desklib provides students access to similar case studies and solved assignments for further learning.

Running Head: BGT 0
Bhopal Gas Tragedy
Mr. Warren Anderson’s take on the disaster
10/11/2019
University
Student’s Credentials

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Question 1:
This disaster took away so many lives and impaired many generations for future. The
company officers at the site were not tenacious enough and did not adhere to the prior small
alarms that resulted in such a widespread disaster. Proper measures and safety equipment
were not available in order to control the damages of the widespread poisonous gas in the
city. Adequate maintenance at the site was much required which on regular basis was not
done. There is a proper process and certain requirements which need to be fulfilled at UC that
prevents disasters like Bhopal Gas Tragedy from occurring, which were never considered
necessary and resulted in such a big accident (Khan, 2017).
Question 2:
The cause of the incident is the negligence of the officials appointed at the subsidiary
of UC in Bhopal (Werfelman, 1985). Just a simple negligence on their part which could have
been fixed easily has caused huge damage, not only to the present population but has also
affected future generations (Broughton, 2005). Such carelessness has never been a part of
Union Carbide (UC). Measures in order to control the situation and subside the damages have
been initiated. Though things cannot be drastically changed but destruction caused can be
reduced. People who have lost their lives cannot be retrieved but proper treatment to the ones
struggling shall be provided as soon as possible. It is the top priority of the company to
compensate people affected by the disastrous accident.
Question 3:
As there were no precautionary measures taken prior to the accident to minimise the
damage, not much could be done then and there. Once the head office came to know about

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the situation in Bhopal, UC contributed towards the charitable trusts and hospitals in order to
help the people affected by the gas. Compensation was given to victims in order to help them
cope with the incident and damages caused by it (Laxman, 2016). Also various fines and
penalties were paid to the government in order to facilitate the governmental procedure
(Kumar, 2019). And as far as the safety of people is concerned, there will be a proper
arrangement and check in each and every industry setup by the company. A thorough
investigation shall be done in near future, so that no such accident takes place again and
proper measures for the same shall be taken (Business and Human Rights Resource Center,
2019).
The UC Company is a trustworthy company and no such disaster would take under
proper supervision of the head office. Due to various interferences from India’s government,
the changes in company policies were made. Due to these changes there was a lack in
operational procedures in the subsidiary which led to such big industrial accident. The
company offers its condolences to the deceased but will do its best to help the ones alive by
providing proper facilities.
References

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Broughton, E. (2005, May 10). The Bhopal disaster and its aftermath: a review.
Environmental Health, 4(1), 6. Retrieved October 11, 2019, from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1142333/
Business and Human Rights Resource Center. (2019). Union Carbide/Dow lawsuit. Retrieved
October 11, 2019, from Business and Human Rights Resource Center:
https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/union-carbidedow-lawsuit-re-bhopal
Khan, M. S. (2017, November 16). Close analysis on "Bhopal Gas Tragedy". Retrieved
October 11, 2019, from Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/close-analysis-
bhopal-gas-tragedy-md-shoeb-khan/
Kumar, D. (2019). Legal Aspects of Bhopal Gas Tragedy. Retrieved October 11, 2019, from
Legal Service India.com: http://www.legalservicesindia.com/article/373/Legal-
Aspects-of-the-Bhopal-Gas-Tragedy.html
Laxman, N. (2016, November 9). U.S. court rules in favour of Union Carbide. Retrieved
October 11, 2019, from The Hindu:
https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/U.S.-court-rules-in-favour-of-Union-
Carbide/article11181105.ece
Werfelman, L. (1985, July 31). Report: Bhopal spill could have been prevented. Retrieved
October 11, 2019, from UPI: https://www.upi.com/Archives/1985/07/31/Report-
Bhopal-spill-could-have-been-prevented/5889491630400/